I am trying this new variety this year from Burpee. It is supposed to produce ripe tomatoes 44 days from setting out. I put the plants in the ground two weeks ago and already have baby tomatoes on the plants. I went to a website that ranks tomatoes, and this one was very popular. So far I am very impressed. Can't wait to taste it.

Little bit farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@farm.com), May 07, 2002

Answers

What is the name of the tomato?

-- Marci (Marci@amazinggrazefarm.com), May 07, 2002.

The Name of the tomato is "Fourth of July".

Little Bit farm

-- Little Bit farm (bittlelitfarm@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

We have been growing Fourth of July for 4 years now. The taste is excellent. The tomatoes is on the small sizes, a little smaller than Early Girl.

-- Daivd in NH (grayfoxfarm@mcttelecom.com), May 07, 2002.

I've seen ads here for "Siberian" tomatoes - supposed to bring in ripe fruit very early, or make a crop possible in Siberia (or I would guess Alaska or northern Canada). My interest would be early crops or fit something in late in the season if something wasn't started early. Anyone have any comments they can give on them - does it work, how do they taste, how do they cook, etc.?

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 07, 2002.

We tried "Fourth of July" and weren't really impressed. The 2 earliest tomatoes we have grown are "Early Cascade" and "Springset." Both are earlier than "Early Girl" and not as prone to cracking and splitting. Unfortunately, "Springset" seems to be out of production as none of my regular sources had seeds for it this year.

-- Marcia in MT (marciabundi@myexcel.com), May 08, 2002.

Little Bit: Funny you should ask! A friend of mine called last week and we were talking "gardening" and she tried Fourth of July tomatoes for the first time last year and her family is sold on them. They have plants started at the local Bi-Mart here and that is where she picked hers up. Sure enough, they had tomatoes from the first of July on through. They tried several other kinds but that was their family favorite. I would like to try the Early Cascade just to have a comparative. I'm trying the Fourth of July ones myself, so you and I can compare notes. Hey, we could have a race to see who gets the first tomato by the fourth!!! On your mark, set, GO! LOL!

-- Marie in Central WA (Mamafila@aol.com), May 08, 2002.

Marcia, how about sharing with us what you didn't like about Fourth of July? So far I am very impressed. I have Tomatoes that are nearly an inch and half in diameter on the 9th of May. I have never had another tomato do that even when I was living in Southern California with hardly any frost. I certainly never had it happen when the plants had only been in the ground less than a month.

Everyone else, if you planted them this year list your planting date, so that we can compare. Mine were planted about April 15.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (bittlelitfarm@aol.com), May 09, 2002.